admin This is an edition of the newsletter Box + Papers, Cam Wolf’s weekly deep dive into the world of watches. Sign up here.
2023 has been a mega-good year for watches. The scene is crackling with independent makers turning out both affordable gems and artisanal, handcrafted, not-so-affordable heirlooms. The big brands, meanwhile, have all brought their A-game, and a pair of major anniversaries delivered two of the year’s most desirable special-editions.
As I cherry-picked my list of favorites, I was surprised to discover that many of these pieces weren’t unveiled at Watches & Wonders, the massive trade show where many brands show off their offerings for the year. It speaks to the way this world is splintering off and welcoming all comers. Here are my personal favorite watches from 2023 (so far).
The Cool-Kid Favorite
Girard-Perregaux x Saint Laurent’s Casquette 2.0
My appreciation for Girard-Perregaux’s classic Laureato has grown enormously this year, but it’s a far stranger watch in the brand’s catalog that I can’t get out of my head.
GP originally put the Casquette out in 1976—an oddity with a driver-style view of the time. This year, Saint Laurent helped bring the model back in sleek all-black. The retro watch represents a future I want. I imagine as even more luxury labels catch on to watch collecting, they’ll start mining makers for the oddest pieces in their catalogs, hoping to find an unconventional hit. This is a watch that several of my friends and coworkers who aren’t into watches hit me up about it.
The Grail-iest Grail
